Norman Afzal Simons

Norman Avzal Simons, also known as the "Station Strangler", is a South African rapist and serial killer who was convicted in 1995 on one count of murder and one count of kidnapping Elroy van Rooy, age 10. He was sentenced to 35 years (25 for murder and 10 for kidnapping) in prison.^[1]

Biography

Simons was an intelligent individual, playing classical music and capable of speaking seven languages including English, Afrikaans, Xhosa and French.^[2] He was employed as a Grade 5 teacher at Alpine Primary School in East Ridge, Mitchell's Plain. Simons’ victims were all young boys aged between 9 and 13.^[3] Simons and his victims were all mixed race from the Cape Malays community.

Simons is believed to have started his sporadic series of murders in 29 September 1986, culminating in his arrest nine years later in in April 1995. He collected his moniker after it became apparent that most of his victims were lured away from train stations (similar modus operandi to Andrei Chikatilo).

Simons raped and sodomised his victims before strangling them. Victims were found face down with their hands tied behind their backs in shallow sandy graves. The victims' underwear was occasionally found around their necks, presumably used as a garrote. Hand-written notes were also found next to some victims.^[3] Simons' relationship with his older stepbrother seems to have a major bearing in his criminal activities. Simons alleges that his older stepbrother raped and sodomised him as a youngster. He also reports ‘hearing voices‘ from his brother instructing him to kill. Simons' brother, an alcoholic rastafarian, was murdered in 1991.

Simons appeared before magistrates in 1995 on one charge of murder and kidnap. His trial lasted three months, leading to a conviction and life sentence. He is currently serving his sentence in Drakenstein Maximum Correctional Facility, Paarl. Simons appealed his conviction in 1998, but his conviction was upheld.

In 2005, an inquest was opened into the deaths of the remaining victims. After three years of further analysis, the victims' parents came no closer to an answer. On 9 December 2008, Regional Magistrate Marelize Rolle stated that she believed prima facie evidence showed Simons was probably responsible for the deaths of at least six of the other victims. However, due to the time lapse, she ruled out further prosecutions in the case.^[4]

Note on name: Norman Simons converted to Islam in 1993, taking on the name Avzal, but converted back to Christianity in 1994.^[5]

References